Mail-pouch catcher and deliverer.



N0. 66!,3I4. Patented Nov. 6, I900. B. HOLSTEIN 81. H. H. SIEH.

MAIL' POUCH DATCHER AND DELlVERE-R. 1 (Application filed May 6, 1899.)

(No Modei.)

WITNESSES lNVEA/TOHS 6% m %@M 1 BY ATTORNEY lUnrrnn STATES IATFNT UFFICE.

CHRISTIAN IIOLS TEIN AND HANS H. SIEII, OF MILI ARD, NEBRASKA;

MAIL-POUCH CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 661,314, dated November 6, 1900.

Application filed May 6, 1899. Serial No. '7l5,858. lNo model.)

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that we, CHRISTIAN HoLs'rEIN and HANS I-I. SIEH, residing at Millard, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain useful Improvements in Mail Pouch Catchers and Deliverers; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has relation to a new and novel improvement in mail-catchers.

The object of ourinvention is to provide a simple mai1-catcher,so arranged that the mail can be automatically delivered and caught at the station by a moving train.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a side elevation with portions broken away of a car provided with our mail-catcher. Fig. 2 shows a detached view of the operating-lever. Fig. 3 shows a detail of the ringholder. Fig. 4. shows a broken sectional view of the retaining-ring. Fig. 5 shows a broken detached view of the retaining-ring held upon one of the posts, while Fig. 6 shows an ordinary split ring, cord, and solid ring used as a hanger or holder to secure the mail-pouch to the delivering-ring.

Our invention embodies, essentially, a post E, preferably having its upper termination in the form of a spiral and being provided with a projecting termination 5, which termination is provided with an ordinary spring S, as is shown in the figures. These posts E are used in sets of twos, and the terminations 5 are pointed in opposite directions, as is shown in Fig. 1. Removably held upon these terminations 5 by the spring S is a large, preferably oval-shaped, ring R, which ringis made of a suflicient size so as to give ample opportunity for the catching-lever to engage the same. These terminations 5 are of a like height and end in a common plane.

To the door-frame A of the cars from which the mail is to be delivered or into which the mail is to be gathered are secured two sets of brackets a and two sets of ears I), as is shown in Fig. 1, the brackets being positioned above the ears, so that the engaging lever is held at an angle, as is shown in Fig. 1.

Our engaging lever is approximately U- shaped in outline, viewed from above, as is shown in Fig. 2, and has a straight extension B, the end of which is provided with an opening (1, while at the union of this section B with the U-shaped section is provided an additional opening 0. The U-shaped portions of this lever are identified by the referenceletters 0 and D, the one marked 0 being nearer the straight stein B, while the one marked D projects in the opposite direction, as will be understood in referring to Fig. 2. The end Dis provided with an ordinary spring S, adapted to receive and removably hold the ring R, as is shown in the drawings. Now in securing this mail catching and delivering lever to the car the stem B is secured within one of the brackets 11, while the V-shaped portion of the lever is secured to the bracket, so that this lever is secured to the car at an angle, so that the end 0 comes much lower than the end D. The ends'C and D are so positioned that the end C comes below the ends 5 of the spiral post E, while the end D comes above the ends 5 of these spiral posts. This is done so that the mail-pouch which is to be delivered maybe secured to the higher portion or stem D by means of one of the rings R, while the mail to be gathered is suspended by the ring adapted to be caught by the extension 0.

Referring to Fig. l,'a car is equipped with our improved apparatus and is moving in the direction of the arrow :11. The lever is provided with a mail-sack Y, which is about being delivered upon the spiral post E, while the lower portion C of the lever is about to engage the ring R, and to which ring R could of course be secured a suitable mail-pouch. In order to permit the ready removal of the rings R from the lever and the posts, the top of the ring is made flat, while the bottom is round, as is shown in Fig. l. As the mail is delivered with great force upon the post E, we provide the post with a spiral termination, so that the mail-bag is forced into the path of the screw-thread in descending, so that when the mail-bag finally reaches the ground its force will have been broken, so

that the packages Within the bag will not be broken, as is the case when the bags strike the ground'in being delivered from a rapidly- Inoving' train. After the mail-pouch has been caught upon the extension 0 the pin 01 within the bracket b is removed, when the lever is drawn inward to permit the ready removal of the mail-pouch.

The invention is neat and simple, and,

Having thus described the same, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is

1. A mail-pouch-receiving post, provided with an upper spiral termination.

2. The combination with a lever provided as and for the purpose set forth.

Signed in the presence of two witnesses. CHRISTIAN HOLSTEIN. HANS H. SIEH. Witnesses:

GEORGE W. SUEs, CLEMENT F. PATTERSON. 

